Restaurant review: Viv’s Kitchen

Viv's Kitchen in Orleans serves breakfast and lunch, including this Cubano sandwich which is an excellent choice. LAURIE HIGGINS

By Laurie Higgins, contributing writer

People are raving about the newViv’s Kitchen in Orleans. With good reason: the food is fresh, homemade and awesome. Mike and Viviane Dufresne’s breakfast and lunch spot opened in May and it’s impossible not to root for their success. They sell a combination of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, Brazilian specialties, smoothies and fresh juices.

Two deli cases are full of fresh fruits and vegetables to make smoothies and fresh juice concoctions, which of course we sampled.

The Power Berry smoothie ($7.95) was a delicious fruity concoction of acai, blueberries, strawberries, banana and coconut water. Coconut was also the base for the appropriately named Viv’s Refresher ($7.95) a fresh juice blend with lemon, ginger and cucumbers.

I’m dying to try the Bikini Bottom Bowl ($11.95) but it was sold out both times I visited, which just adds to my conviction that it must be amazing. It consists of a half of a pineapple filled with The Power Berry smoothie topped with fresh fruit, berries and granola. The photos on Facebook are beautiful.

On our first visit, we sampled lunch. The Back to Cali ($7.95) consisted of a spinach wrap filled with roasted turkey, provolone cheese, avocado, tomato and romaine lettuce tossed with a light amount of the house vinaigrette. The turkey was sliced slightly thicker than usual and it was very juicy, making us suspect it had been fresh roasted in-house. It also had a wonderful fresh flavor.

The Cubano ($10.95) was so good it would be hard to resist ordering it every time I go. The slightly sweet roasted pork and salty ham were perfectly blended with dill pickle slices and spicy Dijon mustard. Swiss cheese oozed and the sub roll had been pressed in a panini machine so that the outside was extra crispy, just the way I love it.

Both sandwiches came with a bag of Cape Cod potato chips and were delivered on charming tin trays.

We also sampled some of Viv’s homemade potato salad ($3.50). I was delighted to discover that it is the same recipe I use at home, with green olives, red onions, hard boiled eggs and tender potatoes. The only difference was the addition of fresh parsley, which I will surely begin to add to mine from now on.

On a second visit to sample breakfast, The Local Yokal ($6.95) was a winning breakfast sandwich. The already buttery brioche roll was buttered and grilled and then filled with two fried eggs with slightly runny yolks, cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato and baby arugula. It was a well balanced and memorable sandwich.

The Trio Basket ($4.95) consisted of three Pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese rolls). The rolls were small and round with the custardy consistency of a cream puff. Since they are made with tapioca flour, they are also gluten-free. They were served with garlic butter, which makes them a delicious breakfast or a nice snack. A cup of nitro cold brew from Beanstock Coffee Roasters in Eastham was a smooth and delicious beverage.

Seating at Viv’s Kitchen is limited with a few tables and some breakfast bar seating, as well as a couple of benches with pillows outside. Crisp white walls are decorated with colorful linoleum block prints from Althea Designs, run by a friend of Viv’s from Martha’s Vineyard, according to a sign on the deli case. Black and white tile flooring offers a contemporary vibe.

There is a “grab and go” menu of sandwiches, salads and desserts that is growing with demand, making Viv’s Kitchen a great spot to grab lunch to fill a cooler for the beach.

I can’t wait to go back. Next time I’ll probably sample one of Viv’s daily Brazilian Marmitas Plates, that is if the Cubano doesn’t tempt me again.